Cruise ship at Mindelo, São Vicente, Cape Verde - Photo credit: Secret-Travel.Guide via Unsplash+ License
Cape Verde may have exited its first FIFA World Cup in the round of 32, but the archipelago left North America with something potentially more valuable than a trophy: global recognition. Suddenly, one of the tournament's smallest nations had millions of people asking where it was or how to visit it.
The question after its World Cup breakthrough is therefore not simply whether more travelers will come, but what happens when they do. Could Cape Verde turn its sudden global fame into tourism that benefits the islands without overwhelming the places already under pressure?
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